Twisted Reality
by FanFictionFan345
Summary: The Foot Clan has defeated their most hated opponents, or have they?
1. Victory?

Disclaimer: This is for the entire story, I own nothing except for OC's and I am not making any money out of this.

**Twisted Reality**

Leo ducked under the Foot ninja's punch. He grabbed the ninja's arm and expertly flipped him over his shell, knocking the air out of him. But as soon as one opponent went down, another fresh opponent appeared. Leo felt weariness begin to seep in. Leo looked around frantically to find his brothers. Donny, who usually was the most precise, was making mistakes. Leo could see blood oozing from a cut above his bandana. As Leo watched in horror as his purple clad brother was knocked violently to the ground.

"Donny." Leo managed a brief cry, and then was forced to turn away as a ninja threatened to take advantage of his lapse in concentration. But Leo's brief cry did not go unheard. An angry turtle clad in red, kicked away his opponents and flipped over a couple of surprised ninjas to land in front of his fallen brother. Raph's rage was all that was keeping him going. The Foot had been systematically wearing them down. For nearly a full day, the turtle brothers had been fighting. The Foot had found Master Splinter taking a stroll through the sewers and kidnapped him. The Foot had sent small numbers at first to deter the turtles, but then the clashes lasted longer and longer until it was nearly an all out war. It was a miracle that no one had been seen. Now at this old science lab warehouse, they had found Master Splinter. But the warehouse had been a complete trap with no easy exits. Each turtle had his own injuries and now unusually high exhaustion was eating away at their strength.

Raph slashed at the approaching ninja with his Sais as Donny stumbled back to his feet. But now the ninjas Raph had been fighting joined forces with Donny's. Donny swung his Bo taking out a ninja who had sidestepped Raph's Sais. Donny noticed Mikey was also having difficulties.

"Mikey." Raph instantly understood his message, and then he used a focused bout of rage to knock the nearest ninjas down. Donny used his Bo to vault on top of a crate. Mikey looked a lot worse close up. His Nunchucks were starting to slow down in momentum and he had a nasty gash on his right leg. Don pulled out a couple of ninja stars to distract the nearest ninjas to Mikey. Lowering his Bo, Don hoisted Mikey up. _So that part of the plan worked, but I'm starting to suspect some sort of tranquilizer on the weapons._ _We are too weary for the amount of time we have been fighting._ Then Don looked over to find that the second part of the plan had not worked. None of the ninjas, who had attacked him and Raph, had followed him. While Raph was a dangerous fighter, he was being overwhelmed. A ninja's kick got through and hit him in the head. As Raph began to collapse to the floor, another kick sent him flying into a crate.

A thick liquid began to ooze out of the damaged crate. With an inarticulate yell, Donny and Mikey leapt from the crate to protect their fallen brother. But to no avail. They fought valiantly, but in the end there was too many and they were too exhausted to fight well. Leo screamed in rage as first Mikey then Donny went down. Then he saw a flash of something coming towards his head and then blackness. The Foot gleefully beat up the fallen turtles. Then, the self proclaimed leader of the Foot stopped everything.

"They killed Shredder, so let no one receive too much honor by killing those he wished only for himself to kill. So we will torch this place, and the honor will go to us all." With cheering filling the air, the leader motioned to his subordinate. "Pile them up and lock the door, but first take their weapons and deliver them to Miss O'Neil." With unusual silence, the second gathered the ninjas and dispersed them. The Ninjas threw all the turtles and their unconscious master into the crate Raph had been shattered. The purple ooze by now had completely covered the turtles and their sensei and had gotten into their wounds. All exited the building, except four ninjas who had been given the extreme honor of locking the door on their most hated enemies.

After every ninja had a torch, the leader made a motion and they dropped their torches through the skylight on the east side. The ninjas watched in victory as the torches started the old wooden crates on fire. If the leader had not been wearing a mask, they would have seen the triumphant smile upon his face.

_Lord Shredder if only you could be here and see your plan come together. It was your plan to capture their precious frail master and have ninjas at strategic points with their doped weapons. But the rat had more fight in him, then you had thought, he nearly took out all the ninjas trying to capture him. But no matter, we have won. _Then they scattered at the sound of \ sirens approaching, but it did not matter, they had won and their glorious leader was finally avenged. As they left they heard the first of the old science equipment explode and they knew for sure that they had won.


	2. Hope

April O'Neil opened her apartment door to the insistent knocking, but as she looked down the hallway the knocker had vanished. "Kids." She mumbled and turned to close the door. The back of her foot caught on something. Looking down, April saw a hastily wrapped package. It was nearly six feet long and was extremely thin. Her brow furrowed in puzzlement, as she knelt down next to the package. Noticing her name in poor handwriting, she carried the odd package in. Gently untying the rough rope, April unfolded the brown paper slightly. Her eyes opened wide as she caught sight of a very familiar red silk wrapped handle.

She frantically ripped the rest of the packaging off, revealing to her horror, seven silk covered weapons. April opened her mouth in a silent scream of denial. Blindly, she scrambled to her phone across the kitchen. Dialing in a number that was close to her heart, April listened in horror as the ringing kept going and going on. She hung up, and dialed the only other number she had memorized. With a sigh of relief, her fiancée answered on the second ring, April said only one phrase.

"Casey, something has happened to the guys."

Only one phrase was his reply. "I'm on my way."

Casey resigned himself to a glare, as a car cut him off. That would waste precious energy to react. He kept replaying April's message in his mind. _I should have asked for details. How does she even know they are in trouble? Maybe it's just Mikey pulling a prank. _But Casey could feel in his heart that this was no prank and the guys were in big trouble. Pulling up to April's apartment, Casey jumped off his jet black motorcycle, and dashed up the stairs to her top floor apartment nearly running over the elderly land lady in the process.

"April!" he shouted as he realized her door was open. Casey rushed in with his baseball bat in hand.

"Casey." Was her plaintive cry. Looking he saw her on the floor surrounded by the brightly colored weapons. Feeling the color draining from his face, Casey put his arms around her. "We have to find them." Wiping the tears from her dark green eyes, April forced herself to her feet. Casey felt rage flood through him. "It must be the Foot, who else would know to bring them here?" Casey tersely nodded agreement.

"They're going to pay." Casey impatiently pushed his black hair out of his face. This time it was April who nodded. "My bike is just outside." April grabbed her helmet from the wooden coat hanger and left. Casey followed quickly behind her, shutting the door.

"Where to?" Casey inquired as he realized that the guys could have been anywhere in the city.

"The docks. D…Donny had mentioned that they had noticed some members by the warehouses by the docks. It was also because they thought the warehouses were too close to the apartment and wanted me to be on my guard." April managed to say as the pain threatened to overwhelm her at the thought of her friend.

"They'll be all right. They always have pulled through before." Casey comforted. "There is no proof that they are even dead." April turned her head as sirens began to go off behind them. As fire trucks, police cars, and ambulances began to shoot past all heading the same direction.

Yelling to make herself heard, April said "Want to bet that's where we are going too?" Casey glanced back at his fiancée and they both knew it was bad. _There's no way, if that is where the guys are, they will avoid being seen. Or worse they are in no position to care. _

Looking for a shortcut through the stalled traffic, Casey decided to cut through a nearby alleyway. _One of the advantages of being a vigilante is knowing the city like the back of your hand. _ They smoothly darted back into traffic and were stunned at the sight before them. The fire had started in an old warehouse, which looked as if a bomb had gone off. The explosion had sent fireballs into other nearby warehouses and the apartments across the street. Casey suddenly gunned the engine and as the motorcycle shot forward, as burning debris landed where they had just been.

Hearing screams from the broken down apartment, Caseynoticed that the fire trucks were still a few blocks away. Pulling over a "safe" distance away, Casey and April ran back towards the burning building.

"I'll get them out and you take care of them." Casey ordered.

"No, you'll need help; the building won't last much longer." April put an end to their discussion as she dashed into the building with Casey close behind her. April found the first victim, banging on an apartment door.

"Senora, Senora" she implored, between coughs. "My baby." April motioned Casey to the door. Casey glanced at the door and kicked it down. As the woman rushed in, April noticed that this apartment had little damage.

"They'll be fine, but the fire is on the upper floors." April started to head to the staircase, as Casey grabbed her arm.

"April, be careful. I don't want to lose you too." Seeing her flinch at the mention of the guys, Casey started to backtrack. Then, she cut him off with a kiss.

"Be safe." Was all she said and she left to go look for more trapped people. April allowed Casey to go up the stairs first. Casey indicated that he would take the third floor and she would take the second. Giving a salute that would have made a sergeant proud, April carefully opened the door. She noticed that the fire was at the far end of the hall closest to the burning warehouses. She paused for a second to rip off a strip of her shirt to make a mask. Even with only a brief exposure, the smoke was burning up her lungs.

Noticing the fire was picking up speed, April moved as far down the hall as she could. She grabbed a fire extinguisher off the brick walls. Pulling the pin, she aimed and created a thick layer of foam down. But soon, it began to sputter and then it stopped completely. Satisfied that the fire was slowed down for now, she used the extinguisher to break down the door of the tenant nearest to the fire.

_Being friends with ninjas have their advantages. _In the back of her mind, April could hear Raph explain how to break down a door. _They were always giving me hints, so I wouldn't be a victim. At least Raph didn't suggest kicking down the door for long. Donny came over and just said "April doesn't have the strength to break it down with her leg." Raph had turned as red as a turtle could. But he showed me the weak points of doors just in case I was locked in a room. Now, I use the knowledge to break into a room. _April nearly smiled at the irony, but her mouth moved into a frown._ Never mind, focus on this task, not on the guys._

"Anybody here?" April rasped as the smoke filled the room. Seeing no one, she started to turn away. Hearing a faint whimper, she whipped around. April noticed a door with a crayon poster with the words Janelle's Room. Lower herself to the floor to avoid the smoke, she crawled to the door and quickly opened it.

Immediately a small body threw itself against her, crying "Mama, Mama."

"Shh, Little One, you are safe." April comforted. Lifting the young girl, April ran for the hallway. The foam was almost gone, and the fire was burning hotter and hotter. Feeling her face burning, April held the child close as she turned and fled. April was relieved to see that all the other doors were open, except the last one. Hearing banging from the other side, April was torn with indecision. _Should I get the little one out or risk getting all of us out. _ An image of Leo rose in her mind. _He would never leave anyone behind._

Setting the girl down, April backed up and launched her body at the door. The old wooden door broke at the impact. April winced at the splinters embedded in her side. Ignoring the wide eye stares of the three teens, she grabbed the dark hair youths arm and pulled him out. Then, she noticed the fourth teen. His red pajamas accentuating his pale face. The teen was on the floor in the fetal position as he fought to breathe.

"Asthma. He can't breathe."

"Okay, you." April pointed to the dark haired youth, she had by the arm. "Grab the little girl and get out of here. I'll get him." As he stared blankly at her, she snapped. "Now!"

Coming back to reality, he followed her orders. Scooping up the crying girl, he and one friend ran for the stairs. The kid in a white tank top stared to argue.

"You need help. He is bigger than you and you're injured." He pointed to the evident bloodstains on her ripped yellow long sleeve t-shirt. He stopped at April's glare. Her emerald eyes pierced him and he flinched back. Then, April released him from her gaze, as she smoothly lifted the sick teen in a fireman's hold. April nearly staggered, but stayed upright.

"Lets go." Was all she could get out. As the two climbed over the shattered door, they noticed how uncomfortably close the fire was. "Move." April ordered the young man. With every step, she bit back a curse as pain shot through her side. Reaching the stairwell, the kid opened the door. April shifted the teen on her back as another coughing fit racked his body.

She nearly stumbled down the stairs, but she forced herself to keep going. As they got to the front door, an ominous noise began. "It's coming down." The kid yelled. Breaking into a "run" as a rush of adrenaline pushed away the fatigue. As they came out, firefighters came and grabbed them, just in time. With a final loud blast, the front of the building came tumbling down.

"Casey!" April yelled and started back towards the ruins. _No, I can't lose him too. No, No, No._ Tears filled her eyes and began to run down. Then, a pair of arms grabbed her and swung her around. As she gasped at the pain, they put her down. A concerned face filled her view, a familiar face.

Casey just held her close and he felt an odd liquid on her shirt, he lifted his hand to reveal a red stain. Concerned, he lifted her and carried her to the nearest ambulance. As he walked toward the ambulance, the youth who had stuck by April came running up.

"Is she going to be okay? She saved our lives." He asked nervously.

"I'm fine just a couple of splinters from the door."

"You did what?" Casey stopped in shock. "Don't you remember Donny saying you shouldn't do that?"

"Hush." April scolded. "The door looks a lot worse off." She chuckled and broke off in a gasp as pain shot through her. Casey restarted his movements to the ambulance.

"Thank you, we were so panicked that we would have never made it. By the way, my name is Jasper Hawthorne." The youth jogged alongside Casey.

"Pleased to meet you, Jasper. My name is April O'Neil and this is my fiancée, Casey Jones." Jasper gently shook her outstretched hand.

"I'd shake your hand too, Casey, but I don't want you to drop April." He wryly said as they passed a full ambulance. "Listen, I don't know if you care, but Tommy is taking all the credit for the rescue." He seemed slightly shocked at how little April seemed to care, as she just waved a hand in dismissal.

"How is Red?" was her only spoken reply. Jasper smiled in relief.

"Jeff is fine. The ambulance had his asthma medicine stocked. He was our only warning, that something was wrong before the explosion." He gave a small chuckle at the irony of his friend nearly dying to save them. "One question though, how did you do it? I mean how did you manage to break the door down and there is no way you should have been able to carry Jeff out of there. How?" He finished in a rush.

"Now is not a good time." April said as she held her side. At Jasper's slightly injured look, she promised "I'll tell you after I'm all fixed up and back home."

Casey was annoyed; every ambulance that had been close to the apartment had been full and had taken off. Searching, he spotted one that was a little ways off and looked to be available. "Jasper, could you run to that ambulance and ask them if they have room?" The kid took off towards the ambulance, happy he could do something for his rescuer.

Catching the driver, he asked "Do you have room for one more?" At the driver's look, he backtracked. "Not me, her." He pointed to April who was still being carried by Casey. The driver's look softened, as he noticed the couple. He gave a firm nod and turned back to the two patients.

After waving at Casey, Jasper took a closer look at the other patients. One teen had dirty blond hair; much like his own, except it was shorter just covering his ears. He looked to be shorter, than Jasper's own 5'11", but it was hard to tell because he was lying down. The other boy had the same length hair, but it was a light brown color. He looked leaner than the other and slightly shorter, and they were obviously brothers. But what truly struck Jasper were their wounds. They were covered in bruises except for their faces. They had multiple gashes. The brown haired boy had a really bad cut on his forehead. He was so caught up in how beat they were that it took him a moment to realize that they didn't have any clothes on except for some pieces of colored cloth. The medical responders had taken pity on them and covered most of them with a blanket. Shocked, Jasper walked to Casey and stopped him before he reached the back.

"Listen, there are two really messed up guys in there. They are really beat up and they didn't have any clothes on, just a couple of bandannas. But they are covered with blankets, so whatever you want to do." To Jasper's complete shock, the couple exchanged a look and hurried to the back of the ambulance.

April pushed away the medical personal, to get a better look at the boys. Gently lifting the blond's blue bandanna off his head, she moved it to reveal two eyeholes. As she lifted a stricken look to Casey, she thought _Leo and Donny are dead, because they would have never ever given up their masks. But why do these kids have them? _ Just then, the brown haired one stirred. Opening his dark brown eyes, he took in the white roof of the ambulance. Then, he began to fight to get up and run away. As the one of the concerned medical personal tried to hold him down, the other managed to give the teen a sedative.

April met the kid's eyes and felt something inside her break. _Those are Don's eyes!_ As their gazes locked; something remarkable happened. He stopped fighting and whispered one word. "April!" Turning, he looked at the two guys next to her and said another word. "Casey!" He said in a very familiar voice. "What is going on?" he said weakly as the brief adrenaline rush left him and the sedative was working fast on his poor body.

"Don, just look at your hand." Was all April said. Don gave her a funny look, but he lifted his hand and looked at it.

"Oh." Was all he said as he stared at his human hand. There no longer were three fingers, but a human five. He was in shock, and finally the sedative won and he collapsed back down onto his bloodstained stretcher. Casey stared as he realized that two of his closest friends were now human, but how and why were questions for another day.

He got the medical personals attention, as April moved forward to slide between the two stretchers. She had grabbed Leo's and Donny's hands. She put up with the quick bandage to stop the bleeding, as long as Casey stayed with Donny and Leo.

April quickly came up with a cover story as she was bandaged. They were her nephews and had been visiting from Iowa. But they had vanished yesterday and she had been out searching since. The responders had taken the story hook, line, and sinker. But when April inquired if two other boys had been found, they told her no. Seeing her face fall, Casey intervened.

"Could you put out an alert out for two other boys with most likely the same condition?"

"Sure, but it will take time. Nearly every hospital has sent out ambulances, but we found these two near the exploded warehouse. So that should limit the search. But I think you should know their bandanas were slightly singed, they might have been in the warehouse itself. And if that is the case…" There was no need to continue on it made horrible sick sense.

"Hey. I got to go and find a phone to talk to my mom, because she will kill me if I don't contact her soon." Jasper said. "Listen I'll look around for your nephews too. My mom works as an intern at a hospital. What are their names?"

"Raph and Mikey. If you find anything call my store, Second Time. My own phone is broken because somebody stepped on it." Casey flinched as her death glare hit him and suddenly decided that his shoelace needed fixing. Nodding in acknowledgement, Jasper left.

After they finished bandaging April, they set off for New York Central Hospital. Casey and April sat in the back of the ambulance, holding their friend's hands. They could feel for the first time that night, since that awful package's delivery, hope.


	3. So close, yet so far

Raph woke abruptly, as he hit the ocean, hard. The explosion had flung him out nearly fifty yards into the chilly Atlantic. The salt made all his injuries burn, making him aware of how badly he was hurt. Feeling flames going up and down your body was not his idea of a great wake up call. Looking around, he could see an orange blur sinking into the dark ocean waters. Ignoring his own pain, Raph dove down to catch Mikey's arm and pulled him up. His muscles protested at the exertion. Raph noticed that Mikey's orange bandanna was about the only thing he could clearly make out. He started to swim to the nearest shore, but stopped at the sight of the red and blue flashing lights. There were so many lights and there were at least five buildings on fire.

Turning around, he decided to head to the far shore. He could feel the chill of the ocean begin to sink into his bones. Raph began to swim lopsided as he towed Mikey to the far distant shore. At twenty-five yards from shore, Raph was floundering. _So this is it. Here I thought I die in battle, and here I die from not reaching shore. _Looking back at his unconscious brother, a wave of rage rolled over him. _I am not going to lose now. I never lose and Mikey needs me right now. I am not going to fail._

With his brief surge of energy, Raph managed to reach the rocky shore. As he wearily pulled Mikey onto the shore, his body failed him. The wounds and the bone-chilling cold of the water had pushed him over the edge. As Raph lay collapsed next to Mikey, the last thing he could recall was dragging his body next to Mikey's so they wouldn't die of cold. Then the darkness, which had hung around his vision, came crashing down and there was no more.

The sun rose, and as the light began to dance amid the waves and vibrant colors of red, orange, and pink painted the sky, a homeless man discovered the two boys. The old man stared in puzzlement at the wounded teens. They were lying in a pool of blood and seawater. The bruises had finally formed and they looked like they had been in a war. Their cuts were a bright healthy red because the salt had prevented infection. The eyes of the man softened at their pathetic condition. He knew the pain of being beaten and felt his heart break for them. Taking off his torn, well loved coat, he covered the boys and left to go find help. He headed to where the fires had been last night because people were still searching for bodies.

As he limped towards a young officer, the officer noticed him and moved away so he wouldn't have to deal with him. Not deterred from his mission, the white bearded man headed to the next closest officer. Then, his bad leg caught on a rock and, as he fell, face first towards the rocky ground; a pair of strong arms caught him.

"Are you all right, sir?" the mature tenor belonged to the chief of the police. Chief John Deylor had first been in the army and after his honorable discharge; he had joined the police and never regretted it. He was tall and very muscular. His once jet black hair now sported some salt and pepper, but getting older had never stopped him from doing anything. He was one of the rare good cops and believed in a code that some had forgotten. Setting the old man upright gently, the chief glared at Jack, who had moved away from the old man. "We are the police of all of New York City, not only the ones who are well off." His rebuke delivered; John turned back to the old man.

"The name is William and I am fine. But I found two boys over there." He gestured to the point on the shoreline. "And they look really bad off." The man began to limp in the direction. Chief gestured for his second in command and Officer Jack Wallace to come with him. When they reached the two boys, Chief realized that "really bad off" was an understatement. Immediately, he had organized his men.

"Sergeant." He barked. "Get me an ambulance pronto and Officer Wallace, take care of this gentleman. He deserves a reward." Escorting William to the officer, Chief gave a hard look at his man, as he was neatly punished for his earlier error. A chastised Wallace was extremely considerate as he guided William to his squad car to give him some breakfast and maybe arrange a place for him to stay.

"Sir." His second in command, Sergeant Anne Fisher's voice broke into the silence. "The closest hospitals are full with victims and the closest available hospital is St. Luke's but it will take them at least an hour and a half to get here. As she turned her head to the boys, her voice slightly cracked as she knew that the boys did not have that much time. _That fire was almost unnatural, it took us way too long to figure out water wasn't putting it out. By then it had grown so widespread. All those people…_ she was broken out of her musing when her boss spoke.

"They don't have that much time. What about the little monastery up the road, St. Anne's was it? I know they don't have everything that is needed, but they do have a doctor-on-call. At least, until the other ambulance can get here." The more he thought about it, the more he liked it. Out here the boy's were not going to last long, at least this would give them a fighting chance. Then, he knelt down to the boy with black hair and began to administer what first aid he could.

"Mom, for the last time, I am okay." The irritated voice of a teenager filled the formally quiet hall of the hospital. Jasper gave his mom a glare, "Yeah, I could have died, but I didn't so get over it. Listen, Mom has there been any unclaimed teenagers found anywhere?"

Giving her son a look, Maryann Hawthorne sighed, "No. The kids you're looking for are not here. Everyone has had family members claim them, and the rescue teams are only finding bodies right now. Don't give me that look, young man, for right now you are staying here with me." _I admire what you're trying to do, but every time I look at you I can see your father in you. And now I almost lost you too. _She watched the exasperated teenager leave the station and left to do go check on patients. As she strolled down the hall, her pager went off. Without any hesitation she turned around and headed back to the station. Quickly, she turned in her nursing supplies and grabbed her coat.

_Well at least. I am not a full time nurse. I wonder what the emergency is. I hope Jasper will be fine. Don't be distracted you have a job at hand. _At this, Maryann put all thoughts of her son aside as she headed towards the subway which would take her to St. Anne's. She grabbed her cell phone out of her beige purse and called Jasper and told him where she was. Then, she called ahead to the monastery to get a briefing on the case.

"We got two boys that appear to have been beaten and as far as we can tell it is gang violence. But we do not know much more than that." The flighty voice of a sister informed her. Maryann groaned out of dislike. _Well, now I know it isn't the boys Jasper's looking for._

"One day, one of your charity cases will get us into trouble."

The voice of the Sister became deadly serious, "If we don't who will?" Then she hung up the phone leaving her voice echoing in Maryann's mind. With a renewed sense of purpose, she got off on her stop and finally reached the monastery. Ignoring all else, she began to work on her patients. She saw that the worst wound was on the blond boy. The gash on his leg was awful and she enlisted the officer behind her to help her after finding out he had up to date first aid skills.

After all was said and done, Maryann collapsed on to a nearby chair, amazed that they had managed to save both boys. A kindly sister led her to a room to rest, over her protests to stay with the boys. An EMT had come partway through and had taken over for the officer in tending the other boy and he would take care of the boys. The boys were in to bad of condition to be moved for now, so Maryann briefly called Jasper to let him know she would come home later. With that, she fell fast asleep.


End file.
